Author
Topic: Agonising tent decision (Read 2413 times)

I am resigning myself to the fact that I no longer need my Hilleberg Nallo 3GT. Mrs. Wow doesn't want to do any more camping in a tent she can't stand up in, and, even though I have used it for solo camping, it's overkill, so in due course I shall be advertising it for sale. However, I want a replacement before I sell, and I am weighing up the pros & cons of the Nallo 2 (non GT version) and the Terra Nova Voyager. The Voyager appears to be a lovely 4-season tent and is half the price of the Nallo 2. I have seen, and camped in, a Nallo 2 (thanks Butterfly!) and it's lovely. Does anyone have any experience of the Voyager that would justify spending all that extra cash on a Nallo 2?

We have a Nallo 2GT (and may be interested in the 3GT ). I love it. The Nallo 2 was a bit tight for two people and bags, but would be excellent for one.

We also have a Blacks Octane 2, which is their version. That's a great tent, too, and remarkably good value, but I suspect it fits just below the Vango Spirits in the Nallo-alike stakes.

We also have a Voyager XL. This has the extended porch (not quite as big as the Nallo, but still useful). It is very stable, but heavier than the Hilleberg. There is good internal space, and the interior height is maintained across a broader span, which certainly helps.

Nallo is lighter, much quicker to erect (Voyager is inner-first, a personal dislike), but I think the Voyager wins for waterproofing. Oh - except when the water ponds on the top, as it sometimes does.

I'd go 2GT personally as the weight penalty over a 2 is minimal yet you get all of that practical storage and living space keeping damp things out of the sleeping area, and, it's a great space to be in if the weather is inclement and you're resigned to a lazy day.

If I was a hiker I'd probably pick the 2 simply because I love Hillebergs.

I think it’s more about the designs than the specific tents and a bit chalk and cheese. Tunnel Vs geo, both have pros and cons, tunnel offering better space for weight and geo being more stable. How much you need the advantages of either depends on what you want to do with it. They’re both overkill for the sort of three season softy cycle camping I do. If I were to choose between them it would be the Nallo, neither would be on my shortlist as I much prefer to sleep across the door, it’s a personal preferences and IMO one of the biggest difference in tent designs and always near the top of my criteria. I had a loan of a standard Voyager while my TN Solar 2.2 was in for repair, it was the most stable tent I’ve ever slept in, goes up easy and quick, and tight first time every time. I like inner first pitching, the slight chance of it getting wet in the seconds it takes to cover it outweighed by not having a dry inner get wet from the fly while travelling. But for the same weight as the Solar it was seriously cramped for two, less than half the door and porch space and less head room. I have no Hillie experience to compare, though I have had a Nallo like Lightwave.

Our big tent (Equinox 450 IIRC) is a tunnel design, with vis-à-vis bedrooms. We take down the small bedroom as a matter of course when packing, purely for ease of stowing. Last weekend, with dry conditions for a pack, but boggy ground from three days of on and off rain, we dropped the large bedroom, and put in the sun for the groundsheet to dry. If it had been raining, we would have packed that straight away. Then the fly comes down last. I have done a complete pack inside a tent, before emerging, putting the panniers on the bike, dropping the fly, and going. If I had had an inner-first tent, it would have been exposed to whatever rain there was both in erection and strike, and, getting a wet fly off a pitched inner without brushing, spilling or otherwise wetting the inner is quite a skill.

I like inner first pitching, the slight chance of it getting wet in the seconds it takes to cover it outweighed by not having a dry inner get wet from the fly while travelling.

Not sure I see the logic? With inner first the inner is exposed to rain for a short period when you pitch and strike. Agreed that's not usually a problem.

I was comparing to a pitch together design, such as the Nallo, where when packed together the inner ends up as wet as the outer. No doubt it's possible to remove the inner first, it'd probably involve a bit of crawling around on the floor, do people do that? I don't tend to watch how others take their tents down, I'm pretty sure all those I camp with who have such tents pack them as one. IME that leads to a wet inner far more often than in the years I've used an inner pitch tent YMMV

As I say, I generally take the inner down separately, unless everything's dry. Careful folding doesn't help much, because in the morning the outer is usually wet on the inside (if it's raining, it's wet on both sides). With the Akto, for which I have a footprint, I tend to leave the footprint and outer together, which means the inner can be removed and reattached without getting myself muddy on wet ground. (I'll sometimes leave it for half an hour to dry out properly before attaching the inner.) Putting up and taking down the inner isn't any more difficult than doing anything else inside a tent - as always with tents, once you've got the hang of what goes where, it's pretty straightforward.

I think that's the thing - outer-first obviously gives you more options, but inner first isn't a deal breaker if it's quick and easy.

I've got one of those now legendary Pro Action tents - which pitches inner-first - and not really had a problem with the inner getting wet, even when it's been chucking it down. Where that one lets you down is lack of windproofing (which does at least mean minimal condensation) and limited space for Stuff. It's a warm-weather tent.

You are welcome to borrow our voyager xl to try. I've pitched it in wet weather several times and had no problems with a wet inner. I'm not sure any weight savings are worth the cost of a new tent (although would be happy to swap our nallo 2gt or voyager if you really want )Anyway, don't you need a tent with room for grandchildren?